Impact of water and sediment discharges on subaqueous delta evolution in Yangtze Estuary from 1950 to 2010

In order to determine how the subaqueous delta evolution depends on the water and sediment processes in the Yangtze Estuary, the amounts of water and sediment discharged into the estuary were studied. The results show that, during the period from 1950 to 2010, there was no significant change in the annual water discharge, and the multi-annual mean water discharge increased in dry seasons and decreased in flood seasons. However, the annual sediment discharge and the multi-annual mean sediment discharge in flood and dry seasons took on a decreasing trend, and the intra-annual distribution of water and sediment discharges tended to be uniform. The evolution process from deposition to erosion occurred at the -10 m and -20 m isobaths of the subaqueous delta. The enhanced annual water and sediment discharges had a silting-up effect on the delta, and the effect of sediment was greater than that of water. Based on data analysis, empirical curves were built to present the relationships between the water and sediment discharges over a year or in dry and flood seasons and the erosion/deposition rates in typical regions of the suhaqueous delta, whose evolution followed the pattern of silting in flood seasons and scouring in dry seasons. Notably, the Three Gorges Dam has changed the distribution processes of water and sediment discharges, and the dam＇s regulating and reserving functions can benefit the subaqueous delta deposition when the annual water and sediment discharges are not affected.

Relationship between adjustment of low water level and utilization of water depth in Shashi Reach in middle Yangtze River

Hydrological,sediment,and bathymetric data of the Shashi Reach in the middle Yangtze River for the period of 1975-2018 were collected,and the characteristics of low water level changes and their impacts on utilization of water depth for navigation were investigated.The results showed that,during the study period,the Shashi Reach riverbed was significantly scoured and incised,with cross-sectional profiles showing overall narrowing and deepening.This indicated a strong potential to improve the water depth of the channel.The analysis of the temporal variation of in-channel topographical features showed that the Taipingkou diara underwent siltation and erosion,with its head gradually scoured and relocated downstream after 2008,and the Sanbatan diara continued to shrink and migrate leftwards.Low water levels with the same flow rate over the study period decreased.For instance,from 2003 to 2020,the water level at the Shashi hydrological station decreased to 1.37 m with a flow rate of 6000 m^(3)/s.Furthermore,the designed minimum navigable water level of the Shashi Reach was approximately 2.11m lower than the recommended level.In terms of utilization of the channel water depth,continuous scouring of the river channel is expected to result in a reduction in discharge at the Taipingkou mouth,which will improve the water depth conditions of the channel during the dry season in the Shashi Reach.With several channel regulation projects,the 3.5-m depth of the Shashi Reach would basically be unobstructed.This promotes utilization of the shipping route from the Taipingkou south branch to the Sanbatan north branch as the main navigation channel during the dry season.Considering the factors of current water depth and the clear width limitation of the navigation hole at the Jingzhou Yangtze River Bridge,this route can still be favored as the main navigation channel with a 4.5-m depth during the dry season.

Possibilities and challenges of expanding dimensions of waterway downstream of Three Gorges Dam

The waterway in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River has long been known as the Golden Waterway and has served as an important link in the construction of the Yangtze River Economic Belt.Therefore,expanding its dimensions is a significant goal,particularly given the long-range cumulative erosion occurring downstream of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD),which has been concentrated in the dry river channel.With the regulation of the volume from upstream reservoirs and the TGD,the minimum discharge and water level of the river downstream are increasing,and creating favorable conditions for the increase of the depth of the waterway.The discharge compensation effect during the dry season offsets the decline in the water level of the river channel caused by the down-cutting of part of the riverbed,but the minimum navigable water level of the segment near the dam still shows a declining trend.In recent years,several waterway remediation projects have been implemented in the downstream reaches of the TGD and although the waterway depth and width have been increased,the channel dimensions are still insufficient in the Yichang-Anqing reach (with a total length of 1026 km),as compared to the upstream reservoir area and the deep water channel in the downstream tidal reaches.A comprehensive analysis of the water depth and the number and length of shoals in the waterway indicates that its dimensions can be increased to 4.5 m ×200 m and 6.0 m×200 m in the Yichang-Wuhan and Wuhan-Anqing reaches,respectively.This is also feasible given the remediation technologies currently available,but remediation projects need to be coordinated with those for flood prevention and ecological protection.